1. Field
The present invention generally relates to a heat sink assembly, and particularly relates to a heat sink assembly with a clip which can be adjusted to mount heat sinks having different sizes to different printed circuit boards.
2. Related Art
Development of integrated circuit technology has resulted in the density of very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) in electronic element package. The electronic element package operates at a very high speed and thereby generates a great amount of heat. Therefore, how to dissipate the heat quickly and effectively has become an issue.
In order to remove the heat generated by the electronic element package, a heat sink is applied to assist dissipating heat, and a clip is used to fasten the heat sink to the electronic element package tightly. The earliest method of securing a heat sink is to use several screws extending through a printed circuit board (PCB) and the heat sink to couple the heat sink to the electronic element package installed on the PCB. However, it is distinctly inconvenient to mount or remove the heat sink.
A wire clip has been consequently applied. A wire clip is generally made by bending a metal wire to form an elastic Z-shaped clip with a middle press portion and two clamping arms extending from the press portion. In use, the press portion of the wire clip bears against the heat sink and the clamping arms clamp protrusions of a socket connector on the PCB. However, it is inconvenient to hold the slim clip in use. So, it is not widely used.
Additionally, most of traditional clips including the foregoing wire clip, have a common problem that clamping portions of the clips are not adjustable. That is to say, the distance between the clamping portions is constant. As a result, one clip cannot be universally used in more than one heat sink having different sizes. If the dimensions of the heat sinks are varied, new clips having different sizes must be provided accordingly. Thus, a variety of specific clips must be manufactured in light of the specifications of the heat sinks to meet requirements of mounting multifarious heat sinks onto the PCBs.